Our heritage and museum

St John Ambulance is a modern, dynamic charity and our vital
work is underpinned by a long and diverse heritage. The St
John Ambulance Brigade was formed in 1887, but our enduring
story goes all the way back to 11th century Jerusalem, where
the first Knights of St John set up a hospital to care for sick
pilgrims.

The eight-pointed cross on our volunteers’ uniform is the symbol
worn by those knights who provided free medical care in that first
hospital in Jerusalem.

Visit our museum to learn more
of the fascinating story of the Order of St John.

Explore the timeline of St John Ambulance

1880s

The St John Ambulance Brigade was formed in 1887, as a
voluntary organisation offering free medical care. Queen Victoria’s
Jubilee saw the Brigade in action in public for the first
time.

St John Ambulance volunteers performed their first duty for a
major sporting event at the 1908 London Olympics, marking the
beginning of a long-standing relationship between the charity and
the sporting world.

The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 saw St John
Ambulance join forces with the Red Cross to form the Joint War
Committee, providing medical care for war casualties in hospitals
in England and overseas.

During the Second World War, the Joint War Committee once again
came together, to provide voluntary first aid to the injured. In
1948, the formation of the NHS altered the role of St John
Ambulance who now support local ambulance trusts in times of
need.

St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross Society and St.
Andrew’s Ambulance Association published a First Aid Manual
together in 1958. Now in its tenth edition, the guide gives step by
step instructions on how to treat over one hundred medical
conditions and injuries.

On 31 March 1990, central London saw the largest demonstration
of the Poll Tax Riots, in Trafalgar Square. Volunteers provided
first aid to 102 injured people, taking 46 to hospital for further
treatment.